Improvement in many-barreled cannons



3v Sheets-Sheet G1.' NATCHER.

Machine Gum. NQ. 45;@23. Patented Dec. 27, 18642.

' A Inventor. Wtn'es'ses.

3 Sheets-Sheet 2y G. NATCHER. Machine Gun.

APaten'led Dec. 27, 1864.

inventor. mf i s .sheets-#sheep s" G. NATGHER.

Macnine Gun. i

Patented Dec. 27,l 1864 l UNITED STATES PATENT' OFFICE..

'GABRIEL NA'rcriEn, or SIDNEY, onio.

iMPRovEM ENT iN-MANY-BARRLED cANNoNs.'

To all whom 'it may concern: 4

Be it known that I, GABRIEL NA'rcHER, of Sidney, in the county of Shelby and' State of Ohio, have invented a new and Improved Battei-y; and L do hereby declare the following to be a full and exact description ot' the same, reference being had totheaccompanyingdrawings, making part Vot' this specification, in which- Figurel is a plan or top view of my improve y battery. Fig. 2 is a front-end elevation ofthe same. Fig. 3is avertical longitudinal section 'of the same in the line .fr x, Fig. 1.- Fig. 4is a sectional view, looking toward the front, the' plane of section being indicated by the liney y. Fig. 5 is asectional view, looking toward the rear, the section being'taken in the same plane as Fig. 4.

4 Similar letters indicate corresponding parts in the several figures. Y

This invention relates to a gun or battery composed of a series of barrels which diverge horizontally, but'whose horizontal planes are parallel, with each other` and which are employed in connection with amovable chambered breech-piece provided with a circular groove, which communicates with all the barrels and with a nipple in such manner that by the explosion ot" a single cap the entire number of ,barrels may be discharged simultaneously, all' as will be hereinafter fully explained. In order that others skilled in` theart to 1which my invention appertains may be enabled to fully understand and use the same, I proceed to describe its construction andoperation.

In the accompanying drawings,A may rep-4 resent a carriage or limber mounted on wheels, A A' and supporting a series of guns or barrels,B,which are arranged round acentral stem, C, and have their rear ends securely inserted into a circular head or disk, D, there being formed on thishead the trunnions D D', which rest in suitable bearings in the cheeks A? A2 and adapt the range of the battery tobe varied by an elevating-screw, A3,' in customary inanner. At front a scalloped plate, E, is interposed betwfeen the barrels to retain them in proper postion asunder, said plate being securely fastened on the end of the stem C. The4 barrels B are arranged in such manner that fwhen discharged the projectileswill diverge horizontally from each other, but have a unirelative vertical longitudinal'planes of the axes of the barrels diverge, but the horizontal planes thereof occupy parallel positions. The stem C projects backward through the head D, and has loosely fitted upon ita chambered breechpiece, F, which is provided with a cap, F', both by a circular nut, F2, to receive which the rear end of the stem C is threaded, as shown in Fig. 3. y v

Fig. 4 represents a rear view of the breechpiece F, and Fig. 5 a front view ofl the capF, the latter being firmly annexed to the former by screws f. In the breech-piece F are formed chambers f', which correspond in size and number and communicate respectively with the bores of the barrels B.

G' represents a nipper inserted into the cap F' and communicating with a circular groove, f3, in said cap F. This. groovef3 is concentric with the cap F' and breech-piece F, and communicates through ventages f* with the hores of the several barrels B.

H represents ahammer forexploding the cap upon the nippleG.

From the above description it is'manifest that the explosion of a cap upon the nipple G will cause all the barrels of' the battery to discharge at once.

To place the battery in condition for loading it is only necessary to unscrew the nut`F2 and move the breech-piece vF backward upon the stem Q, seas-to aiord access to the chamthe chambers f the breech-piece F is moved to its forward position against the head -D and when the battery is in condition to be discharged. On the stem C is formed a key, c', which is adapted to enter a corresponding cavity in the' breech-piece F and indicate when the breech is in proper positionV for the chambersf' to communicate with the bores of the barrels. When the breechpiece is retracted forloading a current of air is allowed to pass through the barrels, and thus theya re kept in a cool condition and danger ot' bursting from heat is obviated.

form range or trajectory. In other words, thel ot which latter are securely held upon the stem bersf". The chargeshavingthusbeenplacedin4 secured by the nut F2, as 'before explained, e

am aware that it is common to' construct batteries with one or more ranges of barrels .diverging in horizontal planes; also, that il: is

common to discharge a series of' barrels from a single nipple by means of a priming-groove also,vthat it is common to construct a cannon or battery with removable breech-blocks.

Bavin g thus described my inventiomthe following is what; I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

A batteryconsistin g of a circular or elliptical range of barrels, B B B., diverging in horizontal planes, a removable chambered breech, F, adjusted to the said range of barrels by a shaft,C, and tongue c, and an annular groove, f3, to communicate tire to the raugeof barrels or chambers from a single ni pple,G, all as herein described, and for the purposes specified.

GABRIEL NATCHER. In presence of- B. S. MGFARLAND,

E. SMITH. 

